Morro de São Paulo

Getting there

By air Morro has no airport, but charter flights from Salvador take 20 minutes and land on two runways, located respectively on the Third and Fourth Beaches. The price is around R$ 350, one way.

Abaeté Linha Aéreas (Aerotaxi Abaete), Alameda da Holanda, S/N - São Cristóvão, Salvador - BA, 41510-343, ☏ +55 4020-9888, [email protected]. 8:00 - 17:00. Air transfer with Cessna Caravan planes between Morro de Sao Paulo / Cairu, Boipeba, Peninsula de Marau, and Salvador. Charter flights available. BRL R$ 585 - 1285. (updated Dec 2023) Luiz Guia, ☏ +55-71-99292-0748. Transfer to Morro de São Paulo on Robinson 44 helicopters. BRL 5500. (updated Dec 2023) Fly Flapper, ☏ +55 1132303710. Private (charter) or shard flights by plane or helicopter. (updated Dec 2023)

By boat There are different ways to get to Morro de São Paulo from Salvador.

The easiest is to take the ferry or catamaran from the Terminal Turístico Náutico da Bahia close to Mercado Modelo (a five-minute walk from the lower end of the Lacerda Elevator). The ferry costs R$ 75 (2012) and the catamaran costs R$ 100 (2016). The latter take approximately two hours 15 minutes. Since you are travelling on the open ocean, sea sickness pills are advised. Don's sit close to front windows unless you want to get wet. Tickets can be brought at the boat terminal building (get there early and buy your tickets), at your pousada, at a number of travel companies or online with Biotur (who has the biggest Catamaran and seems the most trustworthy). Catamarans leave from Salvador at 08:30, 09:00, 11:30, 13:30, 14:30. Catamarans return from Morro de São Paulo at 09:30, 11:30, 15:00, 15:30. (Confirm those times.) The seas from Salvador to Morro de São Paulo can be really choppy and on occasions the catamarans are cancelled and the companies lay on a more sophisticated version of the cheaper option described below (but for the more expensive price!). This involves the public ferry to Itaparica, followed by a

Getting around

The best (and only) abundant form of transport on the Island is your feet. You need to be quite fit as there are some steep hills, especially the one going up from the port. Being an island, there is no vehicular access to Morro de São Paulo. Until the early 2000s, tractors for garbage collection, transportation of heavy materials, tours to distant beaches and to and from pousadas on the Praia do Encanto were the only motorized vehicles allowed. Today however, although vehicles are not permitted on the beaches and main roads (i.e. Caminho da Praia, Fonte Grande), there are buggy-taxis on the roads that parallel the beaches, through Zimbo, Campo da Mangaba and the Gamboa village.

See

Top of the hill (morro, in Portuguese), there is a lighthouse and a deck where it's possible to see the sunrise and sunset or you can go to the fort, dating from 1630, turning left as you leave the port.

Do

Banana Boat. An inflated rubber tube that holds eight people. You are towed through the sea for a ten-minute trip that ends with all being tossed into the water. Starts from First Beach but touts also work the Second Beach to attract customers. R$ 25. Gamboa Beach. A short, R$ 4, boat ride from the port. This 2km beach with acres of sand is almost deserted and doesn't have the annoying rocks found in the main MSP beaches. Great for those who really want to get away from it all. The slow boat to Valenca calls in there but you can often find a ride on another boat without waiting for the ferry. You can also walk there along the beach at low tide. Ask your pousada for directions. Tirolesa. This is a zip-line, aerial ropeway or "death slide". From a platform close to the lighthouse you slide down the cable, to be dunked in the sea at First Beach where members of the team will extract you from your harness. Steep and sometimes muddy climb up to the platform. R$ 35. Day trip by speedboat. Most Pousada and travel agencies offer a trip from MSP to Boipeba for R$ 80-100 reals/person depending on your negotiating skills and whether you pay in cash or with card. There are two/three main companies that do this trip, but is exactly the same trip.Expect different boats depending on the number of people that go. Departure is at the 3rd beach at 10:00 although they ask you to be there at 09:30, and there is snorkelling, trekking and old churches en route.

Buy

Shops line the path from the boat dock past the first beach. There are many clothing stores that sell mostly t-shirts and bathing suits but some also sell skirts and dresses. Be sure to check out the flip-flops. Havaiana and Ipanema flip-flops are very popular. There is also a shop that sells lots of touristy trinkets.

Eat

Sambass. This restaurant is on the Second Beach. The tables are right on the beach next to the Jamaican restaurant. They have a great atmosphere and good food. Try the red snapper or whatever fresh fish they have that night. Most nights they have live music. O Bacalhau. Another restaurant on the Second Beach with Portuguese and Brazilian food. Try one of the various recipes of cod cooked the way they do it in Portugal or, if you prefer a more exotic experience, the lobster or fresh fish on the grill. Alternatively, try one of the famous moquecas, the Brazilian stew, that will surprise you with that mix of flavors that Brazil can offer. Papoula, Rua, ☏ +55 75 8215-9010. A restaurant run by its owner, Christina, a German-born woman that offers home-made food. She combines traditional dishes with more international ones. Veggie friendly and excellent prices. Christina is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, apart from her native German. (opposite the Mangaba staircase) 9111-7380. Dice 10. Close to Papoula, it offers great dishes and a unique atmosphere. Very good prices. Morena Bela. Close to Fonte Grande, this restaurant is said to have good dishes for meat-eaters.

Drink & nightlife

At night, drink stands open up all over Second Beach and there are a few on the Road to the Beach as well. They are all pretty much the same. They will mix in any fruit you want with cachaça or some other spirit. Prices are between R$ 10 and 15, depending on the fruit and the spirit used to make it.

Sleep

Traditionally an overpriced spot, there are bargain options on the island. Never follow local touts around, as they will get a commission and ruin your potential discount. If the room has a mosquito net, use it or consider a citronella candle to avoid bug bites.

Budget Pousada Safira do Morro, ☏ +55 75 3652-1683. Rua caminho da Biquinha. Very simple but comfortable, this B&B is only 100m away from the beach. Pousada e Camping da Dona Amèrica (from the Praca, walk down Rua da Fonte 200 m), ☏ +55 75 3483-1435. Single, R$ 20. Also camping. Aradhia Pousada (just past the 2nd beach). Large rooms for a low price. Pousada Barrravento (on 3rd beach), ☏ +55 75 3652-1134. Some rooms have ensuite bathrooms with fridge. In low season is it possible to get a room for R$ 35 /night/person with a hammock. In High Season